Controlling device for electric circuits



, 1.564.207 J. W. CLOUD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS FiledAug. 15. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 8, 1925- w. Q 7 m WM W m 5 Chi 9 W 5m a /v k WIIIIiN M M A Q 3 w 1 9 m M M NI!!! 9a 2 1 PM 1 Ml f m l FINVENTOR \JOHN W.GLOUD BY 464% ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1925- 1,564,207

J. w. CLOUD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS Filed Aug. 15. 19232 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN W. CLOUD ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

JOHN WILLS CLOUD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Application filed August 15, 1923.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, JorrNlVILLs CLOUD, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Controlling Devices for ElectricCircuits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches for the control of power,heating, or lighting circuits, and has for its object to provide animproved device for this purpose whereby a greater degree of safety andeconomy in current consumption may be obtained.

In connection with electrically operated apparatus such as electricirons, lamps, or the like, it is usual to provide a manually operatedswitch whereby the supply of operating current to the apparatus can becut off when desired. Experience has shown, however, that the operatoris liable to leave the apparatus without first opening the switch withthe result that not only is there a risk ofthe apparatus becomingdangerously overheated butalso a considerable waste of electrical energyis occasioned.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of whichFigure 1 is a sectional plan view of a door or gate provided with oneform of mechanism embodying the principle of the invention; Figure 2being a sectional view 011 the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is aview similar to Figure 1 illustrating another form of mechanismembodying the invention; Figure 4 being a sectional view of theretaining device of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1illustrating a modified form of mechanism which may be employed.

Referring now first to the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, thedoor or gate of the room or enclosure in which the electrically operatedapparatus is located is indicated at 1, the jamb 2 of the door beingprovided with a retaining device indicated at 3. The latter comprises acylindrical casing 4 embedded in the j amb 2 of the door, a sleeve orbushing 5 open at one end being adapted to slide within the casing at asclearly shown in Figure 1.

The closed end of the bushing 5 is secured to an operating member 6accommodated within a longitudinal slot 7 formed in the outer side ofthe casing 4. A helical controlling spring 8 is interposed between theinner end of the casing 4e and the bushing 5,

Serial No. 657,554.

the latter of which is traversed by a rod 9, the inner end of the rod 9being surrounded by the controlling spring 8 and the outer end of thisrod projecting from the surface of the jamb 2 towards an electric switch10 here shown as of the tumbler type. The switch 10 is so arranged thatwhen the rod 9 is in the position shown in Figure 1 in which it ismaintained by the controlling spring 8 when the door 1 is open, theextreme end of the rod 9 is closely adjacent to the operating knob 11 ofthe switch When in its off position. The outer face of the door 1 isadapted to engage during its final closing movement with a tongue orprojection 12 formed on the member 6, the final closing movement of thedoor 1 displacing the tongue towards the right until the tongue 12 liesin a slot 13 when the door 1 is fully closed, in which position theextreme end of the rod 9 is moved clear of the knob 11 of the switch 10thus permitting the latter to be set to its on position.

The switch 10 is included in the circuit of the electrically operatedapparatus and may itself constitute the ordinary controlling switch forthis apparatus or may be an additional switch included in series withthe usual controlling switch.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

So long as the door 1 is open the rod 9 is maintained by the action ofthe controlling spring 8 in the position shown in Figure 1 in which theknob 11 of the switch- 10 is positively maintained in its off positionand cannot be moved to its on position to enable the circuit of theelectrically operated apparatus to be closed. The complete closure ofthe door 1 moves the ton ue or projection 12 towards the right, thisprojection carrying with it the operating member 6 and the sleeve 5against the opposing action of the spring 8. The rod 9 is thus, when thedoor is fully closed, withdrawn towards the right and the knob 11 of theswitch 10 can then be set to its on position, indicated in dotted linesat 11. The circuit of the electrically operated apparatus is thuscompleted at the switch 10 and operating current may be supplied to theapparatus controlled by this switch. In the event, however, of the door1 being opened, the controlling spring 8 wil1evidently cause the rod 9to be moved outwards and by engagement with the knob 11 of the switch 10to return this switch to its oil position.

.It will be observed that the retaining device 3 thus acts to set theswitch 10 automatically to its off position when the door is opened,although the reclosure of the door does not move the switch 10 to its onposition, this action being effected manually when permitted by thewithdrawal of the rod 9 when the door 1 is fully closed.

It will thus be seen that in order that the circuit of the electricallyoperated apparatus may be completed the door 1 must first be completelyclosed and the switch 10 must then be set into its on position which canonly be effected from within the room or enclosure after the door 1 hasbeen fully closed.

In the mechanism illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the construction of theretaining device 8 is somewhat different from that above described, therod 9 being adapted to slide within a cylindrical casing let, the innerend of this rod being connected by means of a transverse pin or bolt 15to a plunger 16 adapted to slide within a cylindrical extension 17 ofthe casing 14. containing the controlling spring 8.

The plunger 16 is adapted to be operated by the final closing movementof the door 1 so as to cause the 'rod 9 to be withdrawn from the knob 11of the switch 10 against the action of the spring 8. In other respectsthe operation of the mechanism shown in Figures 8 and 4 is identicalwith that above described. 1 I

It Will be observed that in the constructions illustrated in Figures 1to 4 inclusive the setting of the switch 10 to its ofi position iseifected by the action of the controlling spring 8 when the door 1 isopened and it is therefore essential that the strength of the spring 8should be sufiicient for this purpose.

In the modified constructionillustrated in off position when the door isopen-ed is arranged to be eifected under certain conditions positivelyby means of the door 1 itself, the knob 11 of the switch 10 beingprovided with an extension 18 adaptedto be engaged by a striker plate 19of rubber or other suitable materialattached to the in ner face of thedoor at the edge thereof as shown.

Itwill be seen that when the door 1 is in its closed position indicatedin full lines in Figure 5, the rod 9 is maintained in its retractedpositionand the switch 10 can therefore be set to its on position.

During the opening movement of the door 1 and when the inner face of thedoor attains the position indicated in dotted lines at 1,the strikerplate 19 engages with the extension 18 of theswitch 10 and the continnedmovement. of the door thus set the witch 10 to its off position unlessthis has already been previously effected by the action of the rod 9 andits co-operating spring 8 as would normally be the case. Under theseconditions, the extension 18 occupies the position shown in dotted linesin the figure from which it will be seen that during the reclosingmovement of the door the latter does not engage with the projection 18the switch 10 being thus left in its off position from which it may beset to its on position as soon as the door 1 is fully closed and therebycauses the withdrawal of the rod 9 as above described.

The arrangen'ient illustrated in Figure 5 may obviously be modified insuch a manner that the door 1 or a striker element carried thereby willengage with the extension 18 on the switch 1O prior to the engagement oithe end of the rod 9 with the knob 11 in which case it will be seen thatthe switch is always positively moved to its oft position by the dooritself.

The invention may evidently also be applied with advantage to switchesfor controlling electric lighting circuits so as to prevent, forinstance, an electric lamp from being left alight when a room isunoccupied.

In this case the switch automatically controlled by the opening andclosing of the door of the room may be supplemented by a pilot switchand a pilot lamp so arranged that the pilot switch which is closedeither manually or automatically when the door is opened causes thepilot lamp to be illuminated. This lamp which may conveniently belocated adjacent to the main switch being arranged to be automaticallyextinguished when the main switch is manually closed to render the lampor lamps of the room operative.

It will be understood that in the case of there being more than one dooror gate to the enclosure containing the electrically operated apparatusto be controlled, an additionalsw'itch will be provided at each suchdoor or gate, so that the circuit of the electrically operated apparatuswill be automatically opened in the event of any of the doors or gatesbeing opened.

The construction of the mechanism for operating the switch in the mannerabove described may evidently be varied in many respects withoutexceeding the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a manually operable member for operating anelectric switch, of a movable barrier, a rod movable to engage and shiftsaid member to oil position, a. spring tending to move said rod andthereby said member to off position,

and an element associated with said rod and operated by the movement ofsaid barrier to its closed position for moving said rod out ofengagement with said member.

2. The combination with a manually operable member for operating anelectric switch, of a movable barrier, a casing, a sleeve slidablymounted in said casing, a rod secured to said sleeve and movable toengage and shift said member to off position, a spring tending to movesaid sleeve and rod to off posit-ion, and an element movable with saidrod and positioned to be engaged by said movable barrier for shittingsaid sleeve and rod out of engagement with said member upon movement ofsaid barrier to closed position.

3. A movable barrier, an electric switch operating arm having an off andan on position, a longitudinally movable rod dis posed to engage saidarm, a spring tending to shift said rod and thereby said arm to its oil?position, and an element carried by said rod and operable by saidmovable barrier upon movement to its closed position for moving said rodout of engagement with said arm to permit manual movement of said arm toits on position.

4. The combination with a movable bar rier, of an electric switchoperating arm, a casing, a sleeve mounted in said casing, a rod carriedby said sleeve and adapted to engage said arm, a spring mounted in saidcasing and engaging said sleeve, a member movable with said sleeve andhaving a portion engageable by said barrier, the move ment of thebarrier to its closed position operating said member to shift saidsleeve and rod against the pressure of said spring to a positionpermitting the free manual operation of said switch arm.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN WVILLS CLOUD.

